County Gray Bar Menu

Yard and Garden: Plants for Shady Areas

AMES, Iowa — If planning for next year’s garden includes finding new plants for shady areas, consider the recommendations of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach horticulturists while paging through and ordering from garden catalogs this winter. The horticulturists also answer questions that come to Hortline, Iowa State’s horticulture hotline. Reach Hortline by calling 515-294-3108 or emailing hortline@iastate.edu.

What are some good native perennials for a shady site?

When selecting plants for the shade garden, one group of plants that is often overlooked are native woodland wildflowers. Since they are native to the state, woodland wildflowers are well adapted to the area. They are easy to grow and perform well when given a favorable environment.

Variegated bishop’s weed (Aegopodium podagraria ‘Variegatum’) and lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis) are two other shade-tolerant groundcovers. Unfortunately, both plants spread rapidly and often become invasive. These aggressive spreaders should not be planted with other perennials as they quickly crowd out neighboring plants. Variegated bishop’s weed and lily-of-the-valley should be planted only in areas where they can be confined (for example, between a building and sidewalk) or allowed to spread freely.